Transfer of Credit Policy

Download as PDF

Prior coursework will be evaluated for transferability if completed at an acceptable accredited collegiate institution (regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education).

All transfer credit evaluation is conducted by programmatic leadership, including Program Directors, Chairs, Assistant/Associate Deans, and/or Deans.

Undergraduate Transfer of Credit

Evaluation and acceptance of undergraduate transfer of credit is determined by the Program Director or Department Chair, or designee, of the appropriate program/area. In cases of a dispute on credits transferred, the final decision will be made by the appropriate College/School Dean or designee.

Undergraduate transfer credit will be considered if the following conditions are met:

The course was taken at an acceptable accredited collegiate institution.
The course carries a grade of "C-" or better, unless otherwise specified by programmatic requirements (for colleges that award plusses and minuses, the plus or minus will be dropped when the course is transferred).
The course is directly equivalent to a course required by the South University program in which the student is enrolled (all credit considered for acceptance is reviewed by course level, course title, and course description; students may be required to provide additional supporting documentation for a class to be considered for transfer of credit).
In the case of courses evaluated for General Education transfer credit, the submitted courses must meet the criteria established by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for General Education credit (as stated in the current Principles of Accreditation) and must also be specifically classified as General Education (i.e., a survey or introductory course) at the transferring institution.
In programs where a free elective pool is available to fulfill Foundational Requirements or Major Requirements, students may transfer any course into that area as long as it was taken at an acceptable accredited college institution and carries a grade of “C-” or better.

Undergraduate transfer credit may also be accepted in the following cases:

When multiple courses taken at other institutions can be combined to satisfy one more equivalent South University courses. No course may be counted more than once, except in situations where a course has a corequisite attached to it and the number of combined credits is equivalent to the credits of the corequisites (i.e., Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology I Lab, Anatomy and Physiology II and Anatomy and Physiology II Lab, Microbiology and Microbiology Lab).
When a South University program does not specify a particular course for an area requirement, transfer credit may be considered as an elective if it is related in content to the area requirement.
When a course from another institution is directly related to the required course but is at a higher course level.
When coursework is taken as part of a diploma, certificate, or terminal associate degree from an acceptable accredited collegiate institution and carries a grade of “C- or better.

In some cases, a student may submit coursework to South University in a related discipline that may substitute for the required courses of the South University program. Course substitutions must be recommended by the appropriate Program Director or Department Chair, or designee, and approved by the Department Chair, Assistant/Associate Dean, or designee, and follow the Course Substitution Policy as outlined in the Academic Catalog. Course substitution requests for General Education courses are reviewed by the General Education Program Director or Department Chair, or designee.

Acceptance of credits earned at other institutions, and/or through examination, is limited to 75 percent of the total hours required for an undergraduate degree. Students residing in Virginia may only transfer in 70 percent of the total credit hours required for an undergraduate degree.

No more than half the major area course requirements can be earned through transfer credit, through examination, and/or other means described in this catalog. Note that programmatic accreditation and/or specific state requirements may alter these percentages. See the appropriate program section for specific guidelines regarding transfer of credit.

No transfer of credit will be accepted for internship courses.

No transfer credit is accepted in the professional phase of many of the health professions. These limits are outlined below by program transfer of credit policies.

No transfer credit will be granted for English as a Second Language (ESL) coursework.

Exemptions may be granted by South University for developmental courses such as basic mathematics or basic English.

GED Performance Levels

South University accepts the GED as a measure of high school equivalency and recognizes several GED scoring performance levels.

Students being admitted on the basis of GED scores will be exempt from taking related placement test(s) if they meet certain criteria. Exemption from MAT0099 Principles of Algebra, or ENG0099 Principles of Composition, is based on the following:

MAT0099: minimum score of 165 in Mathematical Reasoning
ENG0099: minimum score of 165 in Reasoning Through Language Arts
Students scoring 175 or higher in the subject areas of the GED listed below may be awarded SU credit as indicated:
- Science: General Education Natural Science without laboratory (4 credit hours)
- Social Studies: HIS1101 U.S. History I: Colonial to 1865, HIS1102 U.S. History II: 1865 to Present, or POL2076 American Government (4 credit hours)

Procedure for Credit for Prior Learning for Law Enforcement, Corrections, or Criminal Justice Academy

South University may give up to 16 credit hours of transfer credit to graduates of a law enforcement, criminal justice or corrections training program. Up to a maximum of 12 credits may be awarded at the undergraduate level and/or up to a maximum of 4 credits at the master’s level provided:

The graduate has attained a high school diploma or equivalent.
A certification of completion and curriculum is provided.

Credit will be dependent on type of training completed.
The Program Director and/or Chair will review transcripts/certificate of completion to determine appropriate course credit substitution.
Credit may be awarded for CRJ1001, CRJ2100, CRJ2200 or CRJ2300 at the undergraduate level.
Credit may be awarded for MCJ6001 at the Master’s level.
Student must submit an academy graduate certificate and class curriculum for review.
Student must have completed a 320 hour or more basic training course.
Each training program completed, may give rise to a one course – four credit hour substitution.
A maximum of three course substitutions may be given for the undergraduate program.
One four credit hour course substitution may be given for the Master’s program, regardless of number of academy courses completed.
Students may not be given dual credit for one academy course completion; so credit given at the undergraduate level will not be given again at the Master’s level.

Information Technology Transfer Credit

For all Information Technology courses, transfer of credit is not accepted for courses that are older than seven years.

Students can meet the ITS1000 requirement if they meet any of the following criteria:

A score of 50 or higher (out of 80) on the CLEP Information Systems and Computer Applications national exam, credit will be awarded for ITS1000 Computer and Internet Literacy (four credit hours).
A score of 3 or higher (out of 5) on the College Board Advanced Placement Computer Science A exam, credit will be awarded for ITS1000 Computer and Internet Literacy (four credit hours).
The student holds a current Microsoft Office Specialist certification; credit will be awarded for ITS1000 Computer and Internet Literacy (four credit hours). Students must provide a copy of the certification to the University
A score of 70 or higher (out of 100) on the South University ITS1000 Placement Exam, credit will be awarded for ITS1000 Computer and Internet Literacy (four credit hours).

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Information Technology - Credit for Industry Standard Certifications

South University's Bachelor of Science in Information Technology accepts three CompTIA certification examinations for college credit, which includes the CompTIA Network+, Linux+, and Security+ certifications. Credits earned through these examinations will be accepted as transfer credit and a student must submit a copy of their CompTIA Certificate(s) with a Date Certified no older than 7 years to validate their certification(s) and be eligible for possible transfer credit award. For the CompTIA Network+ certification, students will earn credit for ITS2103 Networking Fundamentals and ITS3103 Advanced Networking. For the CompTIA Linux+ certification, students will earn credit for ITS3101 Advanced Operating Systems and Architecture. For the CompTIA Security+ certificate, students will earn credit for ITS3104 IT Security.

Science Courses Transfer Credit

For students in the Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant programs, the following courses will not be accepted for transfer of credit if the course is older than 7 years before the student's start date in the Professional Phase of the program:

AHS1001 Medical Terminology
BIO1011 Anatomy and Physiology I
BIO1012 Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
BIO1013 Anatomy and Physiology II
BIO1014 Anatomy and Physiology II Lab

For students in the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, the Associate of Sciences in Allied Health Sciences, the Bachelor of Science in Public Health or the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, the following courses will not be accepted for transfer of credit if the course is older than 7 years before the student's original start date:

AHS1001 Medical Terminology
BIO1011 Anatomy and Physiology I
BIO1012 Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
BIO1013 Anatomy and Physiology II
BIO1014 Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
BIO2015 Human Pathophysiology
BIO2070 Microbiology
BIO2071 Microbiology Lab (online students only)

BIO2073 Microbiology Laboratory (campus students only)
CHM1010 General Chemistry
NTR2050 Nutrition

Credits Earned at a South University Campus

Credits earned at any South University campus will be accepted at all campuses, with the exception of programs mentioned in the campus transfer policy.

Acceptance of Nontranscripted Credit

South University offers students an opportunity to obtain course credit in areas of competency through several non-transcripted means, including AP Examinations, University-administered proficiency examinations, education training, and military experience and training. South University does not award credit for life experience. Acceptance of credits earned at other institutions, through examination, and/or other means described in this catalog is limited to 75 percent* of the total hours required for an undergraduate degree. No more than half the major area course requirements (i.e., those requirements beyond General Education) can be earned through transfer credit, through examination, and/or other means described in this catalog. All credit earned through education training and military experience and training is accepted via the submission of the ACE (American Council of Education) transcript. Additional information can be found at https://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseaction=transcripts.main.

*Students residing in the state of Virginia may only transfer in 70% of the total hours required for an undergraduate degree.

College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations

South University supports the College Board's Advanced Placement Program, which allows high school students the opportunity to pursue college level courses in their own schools and to be taught the material by their own teachers. After completion of the AP courses, students take the appropriate AP test to determine their level of achievement. For college credit to be awarded, a student must have official score reports from the College Board sent directly to the Office of Registrar at South University.

Since there is major overlap in course content between the two English AP exams, the awarding of AP credit in English will be treated separately from that of other disciplines as follows:

If a student receives a score of "3" on either English AP exam, credit will be awarded for ENG1100 Composition I (four credit hours);
If a student receives a score of "4" or "5" on the English Language and Composition Exam, credit will be awarded for ENG1100 Composition I and ENG1200 Composition II (eight credit hours);
If a student receives a score of "4" or "5" on the English Literature and Composition Exam, credit will be awarded for ENG1100 Composition I and ENG 1300 Composition III (eight credit hours).

If a student receives a score of 3 or higher on the AP Computer Science A exam, credit will be awarded for ITS1000 Computer and Internet Literacy (four credit hours).

For additional information concerning the awarding of AP credit, contact the Registrar at the appropriate campus.

Credit by Examination

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and the Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) exams can be submitted for evaluation for course credit. The guidelines for awarding credit are available from the Registrar at the appropriate campus. In general, no score less than 50 on the CLEP test will be considered for course credit. The credit granting score for DSST exams is available from the Registrar.

If students earn a credit granting score for a CLEP or DSST exam that does not directly correlate to a course offered by South University, credit may be awarded as a) free elective, OR b) General Education credit in the appropriate area.

Credits earned by examination are considered in the same way as transfer credits and are not used in the computation of the student's grade point average. Students may not earn more than 75 percent* of their total credits and 50 percent of their major credits through credit by examination, transfer credit, or a combination thereof. The time limit for granting credit by examination for any course is the same as that for accepting transfer credit for the same course.

*Students residing in the state of Virginia may only transfer in 70% of the total credit hours required for an undergraduate degree.

Credit by Education Training

College credit may also be awarded for education training completed through business and industry, the armed services, or government organizations. South University is guided by the principles and recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) guidebooks when assessing requests for credit earned in this manner. Students must have their ACE transcripts sent directly from the Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials to the appropriate campus Registrar at South University.

University Credit for Military Experience and Training

The University recognizes and uses the American Council on Education (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services to determine the value of learning acquired in military service. We award credit for appropriate learning acquired in military service at levels consistent with ACE Guide recommendations when applicable to a Service member's program. In addition, we utilize Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Transcript in our processing of prior learning experiences for possible transfer credit.

Students who wish to have their military experience and training evaluated for university credit should send the JST or the CCAF transcript to the appropriate campus Registrar. Additionally, credit may also be awarded through review of a student's certified Department of Defense (DD) Form 214 (Armed forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) in conjunction with the ACE Guide, to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces. Credit will be applied to a degree program upon the approval of the Department Chair from which the degree is to be awarded.

Timing of Transcripted and Nontranscripted Credit Consideration and Acceptance

South University will accept transcripts for transcripted (transfer) and documentation of non-transcripted credit evaluation at any point during a student's program of study, provided that limits placed on the total number of credits for the program and components of the program will not be exceeded. During a student's first quarter enrolled at South University, all official transcripts must be received and evaluated for those courses related to establishing basis of admission.

Undergraduate Program Transfer of Credit Guidelines (specifications by program)

Associate of Science (AS) in Medical Assisting

For students in the Associate of Science in Medical Assisting degree program transfer of credit will not be accepted for the following courses:

AHS2005 Clinical Competencies I
AHS2006 Clinical Competencies II
AHS2007 Clinical Laboratory Competencies
AHS2087 Medical Office Procedures
AHS2090 Medical Insurance and Coding
AHS2092 Computers in the Medical Office
AHS2098 Medical Assisting Practicum

Transfer of credit will be accepted for AHS1001 Medical Terminology.

Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Occupational Therapy Assistant

Students may transfer prerequisite courses into the program before entering the Professional Phase of the OTA program if approved by academic leadership with the exception of OTA1003 Introduction to Occupational Therapy Assistant, which may not be transferred.
OTA1001 Introduction to Occupational Therapy is an acceptable substitution for OTA1003 if the student has taken it at South University in the past two years from the intended start of the Professional Phase of the OTA Program (Effective January 2024).
Transfer credit will not be accepted for courses in the South University’s Professional Phase of the OTA program.
Note: This does not apply to South University OTA students (in good standing) transferring between campuses.

Associate of Science (AS) or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Physical Therapist Assistant Program

Students may transfer prerequisite courses into the program before entering the professional phase if approved by academic leadership.
Transfer credit will not be accepted for courses in South University's PTA Professional Phase Curriculum.
- Note: This does not apply to South University PTA students (in good standing) transferring between campuses.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

For BSN (pre-licensure) students, science courses are not accepted for transfer credit if they are older than 7 years from the student's start date into the professional phase of the program.
No nursing courses may be accepted for transfer credit in the BSN.

RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), and RN to Master of Science in Nursing (RN to MSN) Degree

Students entering the RN to BSN or RN to MSN in Nursing degree program will receive 45 hours of block RN nursing courses based on holding a valid unencumbered RN license.

General Education Course Transfer Credit RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) and RN to Master of Science in Nursing (RN to MSN)

Students applying to the RN to BSN degree program and the RN to MSN degree program, who have an unencumbered RN license and satisfy one of the following:
- earned an associate’s degree in nursing from an accredited institution,
- have an equivalent accredited associate's degree in nursing from a foreign institution, or
- hold a nursing diploma AND a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
will receive a transfer of 78 credit hours toward general education requirements.

Graduate Transfer of Credit

Evaluation and acceptance of graduate transfer of credit is determined by the Program Director, Department Chair, or designee, of the appropriate program/area. In any cases of a dispute on credits transferred, the final decision will be made by the appropriate College/School Dean.

Credit for graduate/post baccalaureate transfer work will be considered if the following conditions are met:

The course was taken at an acceptable accredited collegiate institution.
The course carries a grade of "B" or better, unless otherwise specified by programmatic requirements.
The course is directly equivalent to a course required by the South University program in which the student is enrolled.
The course(s) meet the Graduate Program Transfer of Credit Guidelines (specifications by program).

Notes: Courses taken at other institutions may be combined to satisfy one or more equivalent South University courses, but no course may be counted more than once in calculating transfer credit.

The majority of credits, or 51%, toward any graduate or post baccalaureate degree program must be earned at South University. Please see the appropriate program section for additional information on transfer of credit.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The maximum number of classes a student may transfer is four (4) courses or 16 credit hours.

NOTE: Dissertation courses may not be transferred from another institution.

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Forty (40) credits of the Doctor of Ministry degree program must be earned at South University. Students who have completed the M.Div. or its educational equivalent (108 quarter credits/72 semester credits in biblical, theological, and ministry studies) at an accepted accredited school may be eligible for the Advanced Track and receive 56 credits of transfer credit.
Students who have completed graduate courses in Bible, theology, and/or ministry studies may transfer credit on a course-by-course basis. To be eligible, the course(s) must be equivalent to a course offered at South University and have a grade of B or better.

Students should request a transfer evaluation to determine which courses qualify for transfer of credit or course substitutions. The following courses may not be replaced by transfer of credit or substitution:

MIN7000 Learning Skills for Ministry
MIN7500 Theology and Research in Ministry
MIN8000 Dissertation I and MIN8010 Dissertation II

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Due to the unique nature of the courses within the South University DNP program, transfer of credit is not accepted. However, students with documented clinical hours from previous graduate education programs will be evaluated for prior learning assessment (PLA) and receive transfer credit for the Practice Immersion Experience courses (NSG7221, NSG7222, and NSG7223) not to exceed 460 hours. A minimum of 540 hours must be completed within the DNP program of study for a total of at least 100 graduate practice hours.

Master's Programs in the College of Business

The maximum number of classes to transfer is four (4) courses or 16 credit hours.

NOTE: Capstone courses may not be transferred from another institution.

Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

No more than 49% of the program may be transferred.
No course may be transferred if it was taken more than 7 years prior to the transfer request.

Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Anesthesia Science

The South University Anesthesiologist Assistant Program does not accept transfer of credits from other anesthesiologist assistant programs or provide enrolled students with a waiver of credit (i.e., advanced placement) for any component of the required curricular coursework. Students may not transfer from one South Anesthesiologist Assistant campus to another. All students must complete each course in the South University Anesthesiologist Assistant curriculum.

Master of Science in Physician Assistant (MSPA)

The South University Physician Assistant Program does not accept transfer of credits from another physician assistant program or provide enrolled students with a waiver of credit for any component of the required curricular coursework. All students must complete each course in the South University Physician Assistant curriculum.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

A maximum of 12 credits hours may be transferred for any course in the program.

Master of Science (MS) in Criminal Justice

Students may transfer up to three (3) courses or 12 credit hours.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Up to 4 courses (with a maximum of 18 quarter hours) may be accepted toward the nursing graduate curriculum.
A combination of core and specialization courses may be transferred up to the limits of 18 quarter credits.
The majority of specialization coursework must be completed at South University; thus, only two (2) specialization may be transferred.
Transfer credits are limited to the following courses in the graduate curriculum
- Core: NSG5000 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse: Transformational Leadership in Advanced Practice; NSG5002 Advanced Theoretical Perspectives for Nursing; NSG5003 Advanced Pathophysiology; NSG6101 Nursing Research Methods
- For Nurse Practitioner specializations only: NSG5003 Advanced Pathophysiology, NSG6005 Pharmacology, NSG6020 Advanced Health and Physical Assessment must have been completed within five years of the date of entry into the program.
- Specializations (limited to a maximum of 2 courses): NSG6005 Pharmacology; NSG6020 Advanced Health and Physical Assessment that had a clinical component that required a minimum of 60 clinical hours; NSG6003 Teaching and Learning Strategies in Nursing; NSG6102 Evaluation of Educational Outcomes in Nursing; NSG6103 Curriculum Design and Evaluation in Nursing Education; MIS5010 Information Technology Infrastructure; NSG6650 Introduction to Nursing Informatics; NSG6652 Issues and Trends in Nursing Informatics; MHC6306 Human Resource Management in Healthcare Organizations; NSG6601 Managing Complex Healthcare Systems; NSG6605 Quality Outcomes and Financial Management in Healthcare Organizations.
NSG6001, NSG6999, NSG6998 and practicum courses are not eligible for transfer credit.

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

The Doctor of Pharmacy program does not accept transfer of credits.

Notice Concerning Transferability of Credits Earned at South University

In the U.S. higher education system, transferability of credit is determined by the receiving institution taking into account such factors as course content, grades, accreditation and licensing. For this reason, South University does not imply, promise, or guarantee that credits earned at South University will be accepted by another college or university. If the credits or degree, diploma, or certificate that you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution. Students considering transferring to another college or university are responsible for determining whether that school will accept South University credits. South University encourages students to initiate discussions with the potential transfer school as early as possible.

The Associate of Applied Science programs are considered by some educational institutions and state agencies to be "terminal" and/or "occupational" programs. Credits earned in terminal and/or occupational programs are generally not applicable to other degrees; however, the acceptance of transfer credit remains at the discretion of the receiving institution.